Nungali Posted 18 hours ago Morning star pole Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted 18 hours ago Barnumbirr has strong associations with death for Yolngu people.[1][2] The rising of Barnumbirr in the sky before sunrise is a time when the Yolngu conduct the "Morning Star Ceremony".[2] As Venus becomes visible in the early hours before dawn, the Yolngu say that she draws behind her a rope that is connected to the island of Bralgu.[2] Along this rope, with the aid of a richly decorated "Morning Star Pole", Yolngu people are able to release the spirits of their dead and communicate with their ancestors.[10][1] Research[2] suggests that this light is likely zodiacal light, caused by extraterrestrial dust reflecting light from the Solar System. This ‘rope’ is important in Yolngu mythology because it prevents Barnumbirr from straying too far from Bralgu and facilitates communication between dead and living people.[1][2][10] The Morning Star Ceremony The Morning Star Ceremony is a mortuary ceremony of the Dhuwa moiety.[8][2] In Dhuwa mythology, the Wangarr (Yolngu ancestors) perform the Morning Star ceremony every night of Venus’ synodic period.[11] In the real world, the Morning Star Ceremony is an important part of the funeral process for a small number of Yolngu clans.[2] The ceremony begins at dusk and continues through the night, reaching a climax when Barnumbirr rises trailing a rope of light to connect with Bralgu.[2] When Barnumbirr rises, the spirits of those who have recently died are released with the help of the Ceremony to Wangarr, the spirit-world 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
